Living day to day, just surviving, can become mundane. We tend to focus on ourselves, what we need, what we want, the here and now. It can be easy to lose sight of eternity when we live like this; however as believers, God has called us to fight an ongoing battle against darkness. In this battle, God has given a clear mission - to make disciples. 

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. 

- Matthew 28:18-20

As followers of Christ, we are to go - whether that is next door or to another country - and make disciples. Making disciples is not an option! It is a command to all who call Jesus “Lord.” God has blessed us and given all of us gifts that we can use to help fulfill the Great Commission. As we obey the Great Commission, we can have comfort in knowing that Jesus is always with us spiritually through the Holy Spirit. 

As we read the Bible, we can trust that the Holy Spirit will 

• plant truth in our mind
• fill us with power
• comfort us
• convince us of God’s will
• remind us when we stray 

Yet as Christians, we can be guilty of skipping aimlessly around in circles, ignoring the battle that’s raging all around us. 

The Ongoing Battle 

Satan has a powerful demon army hungry to defeat God’s church.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 

- Ephesians 6:12

As the church, the body of Christ, spiritual forces of evil become our enemies. We are in a real war against a real enemy. In the end we will see a victory, but in today’s battle we must combat spiritual warfare. We can’t do this alone. We need God’s power, the power of his Holy Spirit to lead and guide us.

Upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. 

- Matthew 16:18

Don’t ignore Jesus’ mission and live in a fantasy bubble land. Real life is found on the battlefield. That’s where Jesus is. Live a life with purpose, be on mission and have eternity in sight.

What Takes Priority in Your Life?

As Christians, what has God commanded us to do? Make disciples. The good news is that we don’t have to do that alone. He accompanies us so we can make disciples. There is a special way that God shows up when we are on His battlefield. 

Throughout scripture, God appeared powerfully when his followers took risks for His sake:

• God was evident when Elijah called hundreds of pagan prophets to recognize the one true God (1 Kings 18)
• Faced with death, Esther and Mordecai set aside their own fear and took action. Through God’s sovereignty, the Jews were delivered (Esther 9)
• God sent his angel to rescue his followers Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the blazing furnace - the men were unharmed (Daniel 3) 
• Daniel was thrown into the den of lions because he continued to pray to God even though it was outlawed. God sent his angel to shut the mouths of lions - there were no wounds on Daniel because of his devotion (Daniel 6)
• Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, saw Jesus standing at God’s right hand as he was about to be stoned to death (Acts 7:54-56)

You can too take risks for God’s sake and then experience His presence when He shows up powerfully for you! God is currently on a mission. He is redeeming the earth. Find Jesus and feel close to Him by sharing the Gospel with someone.

Additional Information

If you have any questions about the Great Commission, spiritual warfare, discipleship, and/or having eternity in sight, we’d love to hear from you. Connect with us at Candlewood Church.